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The Academic Curriculum Framework is a comprehensive K–12+ program that horizontally and vertically aligns content area and application skills for students with moderate to severe disabilities. Developed by a team of educators experienced in special education, speech pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, the curriculum framework provides a developmentally sequenced progression of skills that can be implemented district-wide. Easy-to-follow visuals show the sequence in which skills naturally develop in five key content areas.

Addresses Delays and Gaps: The Academic Curriculum Framework was developed to provide repeated opportunities for age-appropriate and meaningful exposure, experiences, and interactions with skills and concepts in grades K–12+. Because students with intellectual disabilities often have delays or gaps in their development and acquisition of skills and concepts, this repetition is essential for success. Content area and application skills begin at a concrete level and progress horizontally and vertically in developmentally appropriate steps.

Four Grade Bands: The framework is presented in four binders. Each binder contains the complete framework for one of the following grade bands: Primary Elementary (K–2), Intermediate Elementary (3–5), Middle School (6–8), High School (9–12+).

Progress Monitoring: Each grade band in the Academic Curriculum Framework is supported by a progress monitoring booklet that tracks a student’s progress in all five content areas. Each book contains the sample pages for the Student Progress Monitoring Booklet. Additional student booklets can be ordered in sets of ten.

Progress monitoring is supported through the curriculum’s “Integrated Teaching and Learning Cycle.” In order for a skill to qualify as being learned, a student

must be able to:

Demonstrate comprehension of the skillDemonstrate accurate and consistent use, application, and transference of knowledge of the current skill to other skillsDemonstrate sustained acquisition of the skill over time